The Seattle Seahawks have released veteran receiver Josh Gordon, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported on Thursday. Gordon, who was suspended indefinitely by the NFL in January for violating the league's substance abuse policy, is now eligible to play for the Zappers of the Fan Controlled Football League. Gordon will be reunited with Johnny Manziel, his former teammate with the Browns.
Gordon has been suspended six times by the NFL for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy. He was also suspended indefinitely in December of 2019 for violating the league's PED policy. Gordon has missed over 50 games due to suspension that includes the entire 2015 and 2016 seasons. He was suspended for a fifth time in December of 2018 as a member of the Patriots. Despite not participating in the postseason, Gordon received a Super Bowl ring from New England following the team's Super Bowl LIII win over the Rams.
The 29-year-old Gordon has played in just 33 games since his All-Pro season in 2013. That season, Gordon led the NFL with 1,646 receiving yards. And while Gordon has never been able to duplicate that level of success, he has proven to be a productive player when he has been available to his team.
Gordon's next stop will be with the Zappers, who on Saturday will face the Beasts for the second time this season. In its inaugural season, Fan Controlled Football is an indoor, seven-on-seven league where fans vote on which plays are called in the huddle. The Zappers are co-owned by Vikings running back Dalvin Cook, whose cousin, Anthony Jones, scored the first touchdown in Zappers history earlier this season.
"Watching this league, I think it's exciting," Cook recently told CBS Sports. "I think football is a therapy for a lot of people. If you love football, you will love this league. It's a bunch of guys that are eager to make plays and show their personalities. Just giving the guys another chance at playing football is an even bigger experience for this world. If you're gong to watch, it's exciting. And the players are going to have fun, and the Zappers are gonna be zapp."
